When Lion City Sailors defender Naqiuddin Eunos was 13, his father, then the sole breadwinner of the household, suddenly found himself out of a job.

It was a terrible blow for Naqiuddin and his family – with Naqiuddin and his brother still schooling, and his younger sister just three years of age, the family struggled to make ends meet during that time.

It is why the full-back was enthused and eager to have participated in Beyond Social Services’ (BSS) food distribution programme.

“The loss of my father’s job came very suddenly, and it was a real shock to us. It led to a very tough time for my family in terms of finances,” 23-year-old Naqiuddin recalled. “Both my brother and I had school expenses to pay for, and my sister was still so young then, which meant my mother had to stay home to look after her.

“Thankfully, we did receive some aid from the financial assistance schemes in school, and I remember being really appreciative of this help. I realised then that every little bit of help counts, especially when it goes to someone who needs it.”

That difficult period in Naqiuddin’s life, however, helped to mould him into the hardworking, tenacious and motivated individual he is today – traits which are evident in the way he plays.

“From that time where we had to endure financial hardship, I made a promise to myself to work hard to achieve what I want so I won’t be a burden to my family in the future,” said Naqiuddin. “Instead, I want to support my family and give them a good life. That keeps me motivated to grind hard every day so that I can reach the top of my game.”

Having experienced how hard life can be for families who struggle financially, Naqiuddin is now keen to give back and help the disadvantaged members of society whenever he can.

Naqiuddin’s involvement in the food distribution programme came about as part of a collaboration between the Lion City Sailors and BSS, which saw our Sailors – both players and staff alike – volunteer their time and effort to pack and distribute food to BSS’ beneficiaries.

Speaking about the volunteering experience, Naqiuddin said: “All of us at the club were really happy to help in the programme. We all recognise that while we have enough resources in our lives, there are people in Singapore who need help, so it’s important for us to give a helping hand.

“We could see how difficult life was for some of the families, where they sometimes don’t have enough to eat, and live in very bare homes. Personally, I’ve seen my family struggle financially at one point of time in my life as well. Now that things in my life are stable, I want to give back to the community now, and do my part to help ease the burden in whatever way I can for the underprivileged.”